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woodworking help
Yander:
How do you guys make your cuts so smooth. When I used my jigsaw for the first time it occasionally drifted which screwed up the board that shared the same cut. I tried using a a piece of wood as a "fence" but it didn't work to well. My circular saw is crap and I'm afraid to cut the sides have to buy more mdf. Also what blades to you guys use on your jigsaw when cutting MDF?
Rawker:
use your skill saw (circular saw) as a jigsaw isn't going to do much to any sort of material thicker then 1/4 inch. get a straight edge, long flat straight piece of steel or wood, as long as it has one factory edge then your good to go.
if you have to use your jig saw then make sure you have plenty of (wood) blades and use a straight edge. wood blades btw have less teeth that are larger.
but hey if you got some filler and sand paper there's nothing you can't fix.
jimmyjet:
For long straight cuts use a circular saw and fence guide. Buy a brand new blade, carbide tipped. Expect to spend $10 or more for quality. Avoid nails and screws as they are the death of saw teeth.
As to jig saw blades, the width (from front to back) determines how sharp a radius you can cut. A thinner shanked blade (again from front to back) will cut a sharper radius than one that is thicker. Again, buy a new blade (or blades). Bosch makes the best jig saw blades in my opinion and they are pricey.
jimmyjet
Yander:
Ok I have the right blades for the jig saw I guess Ill try the wooden fence guide again.
flampoo:
I cut my minimame entirely with a jigsaw. It's fine if you have a steady hand. Although in most cases a little bit of sanding will be necessary.